Mississippi has become the 37th state in the U.S. to legalise medicinal marijuana.
On Wednesday, Mississippi became the 37th U.S. state to legalise marijuana for medicinal use. This will aid in the treatment of severe health conditions including AIDS, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.
Republican Governor Tate Reeves signed the legislation, codifying the law immediately. Although it will take months to establish marijuana dispensaries via the proper processes.
“There is no doubt that there are individuals in our state who could do significantly better if they had access to medically prescribed doses of cannabis,” Reeves posted to Twitter.
“There are also those who really want a recreational marijuana program that could lead to more people smoking and less people working, with all of the societal and family ills that that brings,” he said.
My statement on the medical marijuana bill: pic.twitter.com/VTpXbfMv6C
— Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) February 2, 2022
The bill includes several mandates that aim to reduce recreational marijuana use, such as allowing users to three ounces per month. The bill will also protect schools and churches from having a marijuana dispensary within 1,000 feet of their location.
There will also be the introduction of taxes on production and sales, with strict rules on indoor-only growth. The bill doesn’t offer tax breaks for marijuana industries, despite often giving tax breaks to industrial sites.
Reeves said that because of the limitation from five to three ounces a month, “there will be hundreds of millions of fewer joints on the streets.”
Locals can renege within 90 days against the bill, while opting to petition against local officials voting against marijuana dispensaries.
Clint Patterson, CEO of Mockingbird Cannabis, said, “we look forward to serving the citizens of Mississippi as they seek to improve their health, quality of life through responsible cannabis use”.
